Fundraising for Protect Rakiura Trust

1. Regarding leaching: “Baits collected at different times during the field study were analysed to assess the persistence of 1080, and hence 1080 availability to transport over subsequent rainfall events … Samples collected from the field indicated that 1203985 mg/kg of 1080 from the baits had been released with 34.4mm of rainfall occurring at an average intensity of less than 2 mm/h. … After 60.6mm rainfall, the field baits had released 1360978 mg/kg"

Srinivasan, M.S., Suren, A., Wech, J., Schmidt, J. 2012. Investigating the fate of sodium monofluoroacetate during rain events using modelling and field studies. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 46, 167-178.

2. Regarding effects of leaching on aquatic organisms: those in wetlands, ponds and rock pools (where dilution is impeded) have never been studied, and would be the most vulnerable. The Environmental Risk Management Authority's reassessment of 1080 in 2007 found that at least some aquatic organisms were extremely vulnerable, although poorly studied (see Agency Report, Appendix C), for example:

“Data gaps..Toxicity to..aquatic invertebrate species given the high toxicity to mosquito larvae”

“Blue-green algae..toxicity threshold 0.4 μg/l”

“73% reduction in frond growth rate [in duckweed] at 0.5 mg/L”

Alistair Suren's 2 studies on aquatic invertebrate communities both found significant effects of leached 1080 but incredibly (for a scientific investigation) he discounted them both rather than following them up. i.e.

“No major changes to the [aquatic] invertebrate communities was observed, except for a decrease in the total number of taxa collected in some streams 5 days after the [1080] drop.. [and a] slight decline in the EPT taxa collected 5 days after the drop. Such decreases were not evident at the control site”

Suren, A., Lambert, P., 2002. Monitoring of streams in the Haupiri forests afteraerial 1080 dropsNIWA client report CHOO2/38, Project No. WCR02502.

“MCI [Macroinvertebrate Community Index) scores decreased in Dead Horse tributary at impact sites when compared with control sites …”

Suren, A., Lambert, P., 2006. Do toxic baits containing sodium fluroacetate (1080) affect fish and invertebrate communities when they fall into streams? New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2006, Vol. 40: 531–546

3. Regarding conservation management

NZ ecologists have been calling for reform. Papers by Drs. Wayne Linklater & Jamie Steer in 2018 and Drs. John Leathwick and Andrea Byrom in 2023 harshly criticised the government’s narrow focus on predator eradication and the lack of science in conservation management. Both papers called for a scientific approach to species and ecosystem conservation that encompassed all threats (such as habitat loss). Leathwick and Byrom called for new governance, with collaboration among the stakeholders, informed by independent ecological research, using science to guide policy and management. Leathwick and others put forward a model for a systematic, evidence-based approach to protecting NZ’s indigenous ecosystems. They also noted that pests had been effectively controlled by hunters and trappers when there were strong commercial markets for them. Perhaps through a combination of sensible governance, ecological science, remote monitoring, commercial harvest and smart, self-resetting traps, management of introduced mammals that allows the remnants of NZ’s natural biota to thrive, might be achieved.

ADDITIONALLY:

This is good. https://1080science.co.nz/is-1080-harmless-to-fish/

Also, this is one of the best things out there on 1080 and aquatic animals. https://youtu.be/J4pe-Ma4L-o?si=sHIrMdIenWBe0S22

And the interview with entomologist, Mike Meads (DSIR) about what happens to 1080 in water. https://youtu.be/1sp-oWDdqDI?si=VdhVh-6t-DZo2gfS

Local hapu required tuna (eel) to be tested for 1080 in the Russell State Forest poisoning drop in 2018. One out of three samples tested positive at 7 parts per billion even though the sample-taking and testing was done late. It was supposed to be tested within ten days but it was tested at 20 days. A lot of dead eels had been found within the drop zone.

This is all information on water quality and aquatic species from the ERMA review of 1080:

https://1080science.co.nz/fish-and-their-habitat/

https://1080science.co.nz/water-quality/

https://1080science.co.nz/aquatic-plants/